Engineering Chemistry
Engineering Chemistry is unique in Canada. More than a century old, it offers a strong base in chemistry in combination with chemical, biochemical, environmental and/or materials engineering. Focus is on increased chemical knowledge compared with the Chemical Engineering degree. Students will be trained as both scientists and engineers.
This program is offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering with the close cooperation of the Department of Chemistry. It is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board as an engineering discipline and the Canadian Society for Chemistry as a chemistry program. The curriculum integrates a core of chemistry with a body of engineering in a manner that allows chemical knowledge to be put into practice.
Beginning with a concentration on basic engineering principles, science, and mathematics, students will study organic and inorganic chemistry, thermodynamics, chemical process and systems, principles of chemical reactivity, fluid mechanics, quantum mechanics and molecular simulation. In addition to the technical content of the program, students complete courses in Complementary Studies in areas such as engineering economics, communications and humanities and social sciences. Design exercises are integrated into all years to develop problem-solving skills and deepen the students' understanding of the material.
In the latter years of the Engineering Chemistry curriculum students gain further knowledge in one of three areas;
- Advanced Materials: design, evaluation and manufacture of engineering materials
- Environmental Chemistry: development of chemical processes and analytical methods that can enhance environmental quality
- Biosciences: design and production of biologically important agents for application in areas such as medicine and agriculture
A Biochemistry/Engineering Chemistry dual degree program is offered to students seeking further specialization in the Biosciences.
What does an Engineering Chemist do?
Engineering Chemists utilize their knowledge of chemistry to develop solutions to engineering problems. They apply new chemical knowledge to the creation of new technology. This expertise is most often applied in environmental improvement, in the design of processes and in the development of electronic and structural materials, but there is almost no area of engineering in which engineering chemistry has not been applied.
What can I do with a degree in Engineering Chemistry?
A degree in Engineering Chemistry opens many doors to opportunities that both chemistry and engineering graduates have access to. Recent graduates of Engineering Chemistry have found diverse careers which allow them to use their training towards:
- fiber optics development
- containment of mining wastes so as to prevent pollution of rivers
- optimization of petroleum reservoir engineering
- corrosion prevention in fabricated steel
- modifying process and reactor design so as to produce polymers of novel properties
- design and production of biologically important agents for application in medicine, agriculture, and other areas
Biotechnology is an expanding field where engineering chemistry graduates can link their science-based knowledge to practical problems. Engineering Chemists are responsible for designing the industrial processes that provide materials, petroleum products and plastics that make our lives easier and more productive. As an Engineering Chemist you might develop an economical process to commercialize a newly developed pharmaceutical product by a genetically engineered microorganism, you may manage or design a wastewater treatment facility to meet environmental norms or you may remediate an already polluted area.
You can also use your Engineering Chemistry degree as the foundation to pursue graduate studies in fields such as law, medicine and business. Many of our Engineering Chemistry graduates go to prestigious graduate schools such as Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford.
|
